What's New in P2?

2008 PPRC Webinars for P2 Professionals
This year PPRC will be putting on a number of informative webinars for P2 professionals on a variety of topics including Safer Alternatives in Dry Cleaning, Lean/Green 101, Green Chemistry, Energy Efficiency (Beyond the Light bulb) and more!
www.pprc.org/webinars/2008webinars.cfm

Japan Firms to Work on Solar-Powered Ship (08/26/2008)
The race to go green has taken to the high seas with two Japanese companies saying they would begin work on the world's first ship to have propulsion engines partially powered by solar energy.
www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUST463620080826

Washington State Joins Suit Filed Against the EPA (08/26/2008)
Washington has joined 11 states, the city of New York and the District of Columbia in a federal lawsuit technically aimed at curbing air pollution from oil refineries but mostly intended to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to use its regulatory authority to better fight global warming.
seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/376417_refinery26.html?source=rss

US Colleges Moving to Retire Cafeteria Trays (08/25/2008)
In drought-stricken Georgia and North Carolina, the goal is to conserve water by lightening the load on dishwashers. Other schools are trying to cut down on wasted food and conserve energy. Proponents, including major food vendors, say it also reduces the use of water-polluting detergents.
ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ilbPBdZ6DmQzsBL8Rbqr-5DJHk7AD92P939O0

Wind, Solar Projects Race to Finish Before Tax Credit Expires (08/25/2008)
A congressional stand-off that has blocked extension of federal tax credits for renewable energy projects is setting off a boom in the wind and solar industries. Developers and customers are racing to install systems by year's end to qualify for the credits, which can cut the cost of a large commercial system by 30%.
www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2008-08-25-alternative-energy-tax-credi
ts_N.htm?csp=34

Consumers Flock to Energy Star-Rated Appliances (08/22/2008)
Fast-rising utility bills have helped homeowners embrace something many previously acted only lukewarm about: energy efficiency.
www.heraldnet.com/article/20080822/BIZ/59405147/1005#Consumers.flock.to.Energy.S
tar-rated.appliances.

Green Bike Project Gets Rolling (08/21/2008)
Giving away bicycles to commuters to get them out of their cars is no longer strictly a private enterprise. The state and King County are trying it as well. A new "green bike" program announced Thursday is aimed at getting 300 workers to reduce their commute trips by 60 percent between now and May.
seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/376079_bike22.html

Researchers Try Veggie Oil to Clean Up Toxic Spill (08/21/2008)
Researchers at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site last year injected 5,000 gallons of molasses into the soil to try to clean up toxic groundwater near the Pacific Northwest's largest waterway.
www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Nuclear-Site-Veggie-Oil.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Court Rejects E.P.A. Limits on Emissions Rules (08/19/2008)
A federal appeals court on Tuesday threw out an Environmental Protection Agency rule limiting the ability of states to require monitoring of industrial emissions.
www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/washington/20air.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Fuel-efficient Tires Gaining Traction (08/19/2008)
As Americans try to squeeze every last mile out of a gallon of gasoline, one regulatory option hasn't been given much of a road test: telling consumers the fuel efficiency of their tires.
seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/375614_fuelsavings20.html

Google, Paul Allen Back Geothermal Startup (08/19/2008)
AltaRock Energy believes it can harvest energy by fracturing rocks deep below the Earth's surface, using the heat from those rocks to create electricity.
seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/375635_altarock20.html?source=rss

Calling All Chemists (08/18/2008)
Chemists and chemical engineers will be providing the thousands of technologies needed to achieve a more sustainable world
pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/86/8633cover3.html

Converging Pathways (08/18/2008)
Chemical companies and environmentalists edge closer together in the pursuit of sustainability
pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/86/8633cover2.html

Renewable Power's Growth in Colorado Presages National Debate (08/18/2008)
The politics and economics of energy are shifting here in ways that foretell debates across the country as states create renewable-energy mandates and the federal government moves toward limiting carbon emissions. One advocate calls Colorado "ground zero" for the looming battle over energy.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/17/AR2008081702193.html

Portland Gym to Run on Pedal Power (08/16/2008)
People will do more than burn energy at a gym set to open here September 1st. They'll also create it.
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008117509_gympower160.html

Electric Bikes Sell Briskly as Gas Prices Climb (08/15/2008)
When Honora Wolfe and her husband moved to the outskirts of Boulder, Colo., she wanted an environmentally friendly way to commute to her job as a bookshop owner in the city. Wolfe, 60, found her solution about a month ago: an electric bicycle.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26218516/

Green Manufacturing Can Help 'Move Business Forward' (08/15/2008)
Manufacturers increasingly see green initiatives as a way to move business forward through cost savings, improved efficiency and reputation boost, according to a new survey.
www.greenbiz.com/news/2008/08/15/green-manufacturing-can-help-move-business-forw
ard

Push For a New Kind of Jet Fuel (08/15/2008)
With the price of oil still above $100 a barrel, everything from wood chips to chicken fat is being scrutinized as an alternative to traditional fuel. But when it comes to airplanes, finding the right mix poses a special challenge.
seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/375221_airlinefuel16.html

Psychologists Determine What it Means to Think 'Green' (08/14/2008)
Armed with new research into what makes some people environmentally conscious and others less so, the 148,000-member American Psychological Association is stepping up efforts to foster a broader sense of eco-sensitivity that the group believes will translate into more public action to protect the planet.
www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2008-08-13-green-psychology_N.htm

Two Large Solar Plants Planned in California (08/14/2008)
Companies will build two solar power plants in California that together will put out more than 12 times as much electricity as the largest such plant today, the latest indication that solar energy is starting to achieve significant scale.
www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/business/15solar.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

High Price of Plastics Raises Prospect of Rubbish Mining in Dumps (08/12/2008)
The value of second-hand plastic has risen so rapidly that mining operations to dig it out of rubbish dumps are forecast to begin within the decade.
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4510201.ece

Long Beach Slashes Water Use, Offers Efficiency Rebates (08/12/2008)
Long Beach has saved millions of gallons of water through a conservation plan aimed at reducing consumption of the city's businesses and residents.
www.greenbiz.com/news/2008/08/12/long-beach-slashes-water-use

Oregon Runs Faster to Catch the Wind (08/12/2008)
The amount of wind power produced along the blustery Columbia Gorge is expected to more than triple in coming years. But the Gorge isn't the only Oregon locale that wind-development companies are eyeing.
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008106953_windpower12.html?sy
ndication=rss

Seattle City Council Approves 'Green Taxi' Investment (08/11/2008)
The City Council passed a measure Monday requiring the taxi industry to invest in "green" cabs to help the environment and to increase the number of licenses to put more cabs on the street.
seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/374556_cabs12.html?source=rss

Giant Retailers Look to Sun for Energy Savings (08/10/2008)
Retailers are typically obsessed with what to put under their roofs, not on them. Yet the nation's biggest store chains are coming to see their immense, flat roofs as an untapped resource.
www.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/business/11solar.html

Recycling Has Become a Repeat Business: in tough economic times, more turn to selling recyclables (08/10/2008)
Nationwide, recycling facilities are doing brisk business. Weekends are the busiest, when people have time to bring in scraps like copper wire, brass bits, aluminum window frames and rotted pipes and cans, hoping to make some extra money.
seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/374351_recycling11.html

Buildings Given a Role in Saving Sound (08/09/2008)
In a landmark ruling that could shape Western Washington development for decades to come, a state appeals board ordered use of "low-impact" building techniques to rein in what scientists call the biggest pollution threat to the health of Puget Sound.
seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/374294_lowimpact09.html

'Alarming' Elevated Cancer Risk in South Seattle Linked to Air Pollution (08/08/2008)
Residents of a broad swath of South Seattle from Seward Park to West Seattle face elevated cancer risks because of air pollution, according to a soon-to-be released government study.
seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/374066_badair08.html

IKEA to Invest $77 Million in Clean Tech, Could Result in Solar Sales in Stores (08/08/2008)
IKEA plans to invest in $77 million in clean tech startups in the next five years with an eye to selling solar panels and other green tech products in stores or having suppliers use them, the Cleantech Group reported.
www.greenbiz.com/news/2008/08/08/ikea-invest-77-million-clean-tech-could-result-
solar-sales-stores

$10 Million Invested in Zap Electric Cars (08/07/2008)
Zap, a Santa Rosa firm that makes electric cars, said an entrepreneur from Dubai has invested $10 million in the Bay Area company at the same time officials in Kentucky are plying it with incentives to move its factory from China to the Bluegrass State - which could repatriate 500 to 1,000 manufacturing jobs.
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/07/BUJR126FF5.DTL

'Green' Building Codes Sprout Up Across USA (08/07/2008)
As energy costs rise, more states and cities are adopting policies that encourage or require new construction to be energy-efficient.
www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2008-08-06-Buildgreen_N.htm

Oregon Starts Solar Power Program For Highways (08/07/2008)
A stretch of Oregon highway will soon be lit with solar energy. State officials say the solar project near the interchange of I-5 and I-205 is the first project of its kind in the country.
news.opb.org/article/2779-odot-starts-solar-power-program-highways/

An Energy Diet for Power-Hungry Household PCs (08/06/2008)
In its drive to go green, the technology industry has so far focused mainly on big targets like corporations and especially computer data centers, the power-hungry computing engine rooms of the Internet economy. Next come the hundreds of millions of desktop and laptop personal computers in households worldwide.
www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/technology/06green.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adx
nnlx=1218133614-HH7BWxADgcqmOglmIA7BUw

Dell Says its Operations Are Now Carbon-Neutral (08/06/2008)
Computers are far from being truly clean machines, but Dell Inc. and other PC makers are trying to make their own business operations greener. Dell said Wednesday its facilities worldwide are now carbon neutral.
ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jtEdDLUPQFDT1m2BUQTNgG12qYrgD92CV5100

Auto Makers Pull Back From Fuel-Economy Drive (08/05/2008)
The auto industry said federal regulators are pushing too far, too fast in their effort to raise fuel-mileage rules. The complaints from the industry, which had previously voiced support for tougher standards, underscore how economic hardship is affecting a major policy debate.
online.wsj.com/article/SB121789813230412201.html

MIT Researchers Develop Solar-to-Hydrogen Breakthrough (08/05/2008)
In a revolutionary leap that could transform solar power from a marginal, boutique alternative into a mainstream energy source, MIT researchers have overcome a major barrier to large-scale solar power: storing energy for use when the sun doesn't shine.
www.evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=18829

New Subway Escalators Speed Up When You Get On (08/05/2008)
The 169 escalators throughout New York City's subway system are not known for running smoothly -- each averaged 68 breakdowns or repair calls last year -- and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority now says it has a partial solution.
cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/05/new-subway-escalators-speed-up-when-you-ge
t-on/index.html?hp

San Fransisco Mayor Signs Strict Green Building Codes Into Law (08/05/2008)
San Francisco took a major step Monday to cement its reputation as the most environmentally progressive city in the United States, as Mayor Gavin Newsom signed into law stringent green building codes for new construction and renovations of existing structures in the city.
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/04/BADQ1250K9.DTL

Auto Painting Goes Green (08/04/2008)
Body shop owner touts benefits to environment, employees' health
www.telegram.com/article/20080804/NEWS/808040546/1003/NEWS03

Nissan Develops "Eco" Pedal To Assist Smart Driving (08/04/2008)
Nissan Motor Co said on Monday it has developed an accelerator pedal that can push back on the driver's foot when it detects excess pressure and poor fuel efficiency.
www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUST25709120080804

Oregon Rancher Sees Biodiesel Where Some See Weeds (08/04/2008)
In calloused hands, rancher Mark Wiest held up a bunch of what some folks would call weeds. Behind him were 26 acres in Sams Valley planted in camelina sativa, which produces an oil seed touted as the latest affordable source for biodiesel.
hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OR_SEEDS_FOR_BIODIESEL_OROL-?SITE=ORKLA&SECTION=
STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Toxic Plastic Toys Could Go The Way Of Dinosaurs (08/04/2008)
Children's advocates say they hope a sweeping consumer protection law passed by Congress last week will begin a broad national effort to shield youngsters from dangerous chemicals.
www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-08-04-toxic-plastics-main_N.htm

Will Americans Accept Greener Hotel Rooms? (08/03/2008)
Compared to hotels abroad, the American hospitality industry does not yet have much of a culture of saving resources -- but some say changes are coming.
www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/realestate/commercial/03sqft.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Climate Change? Blame Your Stuff (08/01/2008)
Burning gas is a big greenhouse gas culprit, but manufacturing things to buy is also a large source; Oregon wants to track it
www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1217566503179850.xml&coll
=7

Living on Earth: Worker Safety (08/01/2008)
A nine-word sentence written in federal bureaucratese could fundamentally change the way the government determines workplace safety. The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed allowing worker exposure to higher levels of chemicals, for shorter periods of time.
www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=08-P13-00031&segmentID=2

Ruling Gives Solar Projects in Oregon Big Boost (08/01/2008)
State utility regulators gave the go-ahead Thursday to dozens of solar-electric projects in a ruling that cleared away legal questions hanging over a popular financing plan.
www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/12175611093930.xml&co
ll=7

San Fransico Mayor Proposes Fines For Unsorted Trash (08/01/2008)
Garbage collectors would inspect San Francisco residents' trash to make sure pizza crusts aren't mixed in with chip bags or wine bottles under a proposal by Mayor Gavin Newsom.
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/08/01/MN47122A98.DTL

Two More Anheuser-Busch Plants to Add Alternative Energy (08/01/2008)
Anheuser-Busch is installing systems to partially power two breweries with landfill gas, brewing wastewater and solar energy.
www.greenbiz.com/news/2008/08/01/two-more-anheuser-busch-plants-add-alternative-
energy

Two Reports Raise Hopes on Energy (08/01/2008)
Storing energy is a crucial but expensive component of plans to turn intermittent sources of energy, like wind and sun, into reliable replacements for coal and natural gas. But two new scientific papers show progress in materials science and chemistry that could cut the cost.
www.nytimes.com/2008/08/01/us/01hydrogen.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin

A Vehicle-Free Experiment On Seattle Streets This Summer (07/31/2008)
To get people out of their cars and onto their feet, Seattle will close down major thoroughfares on Capitol Hill, in Rainier Valley and Alki for several weekend hours this summer.
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008082917_carfree31m0.html

Cement Kilns Release 2 Times More Mercury Than EPA Thinks: Report (07/31/2008)
Cement plants release more than two-times as much toxic mercury as the EPA estimates, according to a study by two watchdog groups.
www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/mercury-cement-47073102

DOE and USDA Announce More than $10 Million in Bioenergy Plant Feedstock Research (07/31/2008)
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Under Secretary for Science Dr. Raymond L. Orbach and U.S. Agriculture Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics Gale Buchanan today announced plans to award 10 grants totaling more than $10 million to accelerate fundamental research in the development of cellulosic biofuels.
www.energy.gov/news/6444.htm

Researchers Report Fuel Cell Breakthroughs (07/31/2008)
'Simplicity' of cheaper materials and solar power 'is amazing,' says official
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25953252/

Five Chemicals Study Now in Available in HTML (07/30/2008)
This report on safer alternatives evaluates the technical, economic, and environmental, health and safety feasibility of alternatives to the five chemicals for selected uses.
www.turi.org/home/home_page/new_at_turi/five_chemicals_study

Growing the Pool of Green Auditors (07/30/2008)
Riding a wave of growing interest in eco-friendly business operations, a Maryland-based consulting firm is offering training for environmentally focused consultants who want to specialize in green audits for small companies.
www.greenbiz.com/news/2008/07/30/growing-pool-green-auditors

The Green Chemistry Tipping Point (07/30/2008)
The education system in place for scientists has not really kept up with this "sustainability movement." In 2008, very few, if any graduate or undergraduate programs in materials science and chemistry require students to learn anything about mechanistic toxicology or environmental impacts.
www.environmentalleader.com/2008/07/30/the-green-chemistry-tipping-point/

Lawmakers Clinch Deal To Overhaul Product Safety (07/29/2008)
The biggest overhaul of U.S. product-safety rules in a generation cleared a major hurdle Monday, making it likely Congress will impose stricter regulation of everything from toys to all-terrain vehicles -- along with harsher penalties for companies that violate the regulations.
online.wsj.com/article/SB121726699537590359.html?mod=world_news_whats_news

Paccar's Fuel-Saving Hybrid Trucks Aimed at Nation's Distribution Industry (07/29/2008)
Meet the workhorse cousin of the Toyota Prius -- a medium-duty truck running on a hybrid diesel-electric engine that could save distribution and utility companies plenty of expensive fuel and be easier on the planet, too.
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008078767_hybridtruck29.html

Product Carbon Labeling Takes Shape in South Korea (07/28/2008)
The South Korean government has decided that selected products will carry labels in the marketplace to show the size of their carbon footprints. During the testing phase, just 10 products will get carbon labels, but if the program is successful, it will be used more widely.
www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2008/2008-07-28-02.asp

Oregon to Have World's Largest Wind Farm (07/27/2008)
A state energy panel has approved building what developers say would be the world's largest single wind farm in Gilliam and Morrow counties in northeastern Oregon.
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008075554_windfarm27m.html

Recycling Adds Up For Thurston County (07/27/2008)
Without compromising budgets or performance, local governments, schools and businesses everywhere are greatly reducing the environmental effect of their practices and purchases.
www.theolympian.com/environment/story/521785.html

Tech Giants Rush to Solar Power (07/27/2008)
Semiconductor companies are rushing into the solar power business faster than a Pentium-driven computer, promising to turn a niche form of renewable energy into a mass-market product.
www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/environment/2008-07-27-solar-chips_N.ht
m

U.S. Army Works to Cut Its Carbon "Bootprint" (07/27/2008)
What if cutting greenhouse emissions could also save the lives of soldiers in Iraq, where fuel-laden convoys make them targets? The U.S. Army says it is happening now in a push to reduce its carbon "bootprint."
www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN2641421220080727

Greening the Links in the Supply Chain (07/25/2008)
Driven by soaring fuel costs and the public's call for greater environmental responsibility, more firms are trying to green their supply chain and increasingly are looking for outside help to improve the eco-friendliness, economy and efficiency of their transportation and logistics, a new study says.
www.greenbiz.com/news/2008/07/25/greening-links-supply-chain

Website Covering Mercury-added Legacy Products Now Available (07/24/2008)
The Mercury Legacy Products Website provides information about the past and current uses of mercury-added legacy products. The Website includes photographs and covers the types of situations in which the products have been typically used; the location of mercury in the product; and the products' proper handling, removal, and disposal.
www.newmoa.org/prevention/mercury/projects/legacy/index.cfm

Green Purchasing Makes Slight Gains (07/22/2008)
Slightly more companies than last year are using green procurement policies, says TerraChoice's latest Ecomarkets report, but the bigger change is in what environmental issues are most important.
www.greenbiz.com/news/2008/07/22/green-purchasing-makes-slight-gains

In Search of Better (and Greener) Building Blocks (07/13/2008)
As energy prices have skyrocketed and concerns have mounted about the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on the climate, there is a new urgency in developing alternatives to traditional building products. Buildings must not only operate more efficiently, they must be constructed from materials that are produced with less energy, waste and harmful chemicals, according to a growing chorus of industry professionals.
www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/realestate/commercial/13sqft.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&or
ef=slogin

PPRC Job Opening: Executive Director (07/08/2008)
The Board of Directors of the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center, a Seattle-based non-profit with an annual budget of over $400,000 and staff of six, seeks a full-time Executive Director.
pprc.org/about/jobs.cfm

DOE Report: Wind Power Capacity Up 46% (06/09/2008)
The U.S. Department of Energy Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends finds that capacity increased by 46 percent in 2007, with $9 billion invested in plants in 2007 alone, making the United States the fastest-growing wind power market in the world for the third straight year.
www.eponline.com/articles/63666?recipid%3B=

September 10-13, 2008
International Conference of the Society for Human Ecology (Bellingham, WA)


September 16-17, 2008
P2 Workshop for Businesses (Austin, TX)


September 17, 2008
Water Efficiency: Driving Sustainable Buildings and Sites (Seattle, WA)


October 2-3, 2008
P2 Workshop for Businesses (Houston, TX)


October 15-16, 2008
P2 Workshop for Businesses (Corpus Christi, Texas)


October 13-17, 2008
North American Hazardous Management Association's Annual Conference (Burlington, VT)


October 21-23, 2008
WASTECON 2008 (Tampa, FL)


October 23 & 24, 2008
Fostering Sustainable Behavior Workshop (Vancouver, BC)


October 26-29, 2008
2008 National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference (Denver, CO)


October 27-29, 2008
Lean to Green Manufacturing Conference (Portland, OR)


November 5-6, 2008
P2 Workshop for Businesses (Fort Worth, Texas)


November 19-21, 2008
Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (Boston, MA)


December 8-9, 2008
Northwest Environmental Conference & Trade Show (Portland, OR)


May 18-20, 2009
Cleanmed 2009 (Chicago, IL)